The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-03-16
9IiEY'S SAD FATE.
The Distressing Story of IA Little Girl In
Mormon Family.

'j.i.!' no ALl'i-1, y tdLi, -'AtAi'Ai y.
Sixteen years ago Samuel Bates, Nor
mon, then the ;,ossessor Of two wives
Ann and Jane, the latter being chidless
i took Mary Lee, ar orphan, to bring ul
according to the rites of the Church Of
the Latter Day Saints. AS Ann had
many children to comfort her the babe
was placed in charge of Jane, a devout
Mormon, herself born in the faith.
Mary Lees parents were from England.
! Fer mother was delicate little woman,
remembered bv many here as Il fearful
and unhappy person. Times were hard
With thom when they first appeared here,
and they grew harder for some reason.
Just IS her husband was about to take g
second wife, evidently against the wishes
of the companion Of his youth, he was
killed in snow slide, and three months
after that his widow died, some said Of 8
broken heart, leaving little Mary alone
in the world. Samuel Bates was some
thin2 Of man among the Mornlons.
He vas called Brother Bates. Els first
wife vas a lard, coarse woman, but
Jane, to whom the little orphan went,
was tender, rather good looking, and
filed with d stern and unbend!nS faith
in the divinity of her religion, and a de-
termination to Give it to the end. The
child which thus fell to her partook OF
her dead mothers disposition. As she
grew to womanhood she became fair to
a degree not often seen in these parts,
but in spirit she was gloomy, sad and
reticent. Surrounded by Mormons and
taught by the pious Jane, she became
almost fanatic on the subject of re-
ligion herself, and readily accepted all
that was iDstilled into her mind as the
inspiration OF the Lord.
! year or two ago Mary Lee became
acquainted with young man living in a
mining camp not far from here, a Gen
tile, of course, as 10 Mormon delyes for
gold and silver. The youth, Seth Bent
ly by name, rarely lost an opportunity
to pay the girl little attentions, and at
length it became the rumor that lie was
her accepted lover She would stroll
away to the foot hills TO meet him, Of
evenings they would be seen by the
mountain brook which winds through
the town, and on Sunday afternoons,
particularly when Brother Bates was
away from home, they would be riding
or walking together. Jane made 40 op-
position to the intimacy, but when
Brother Bates's attention was called to
the matter, lie felt that it was his duty
to interfere. Little by little James mind
was won over TO his way Of thinking,
though At first she had been unsuspect-
ing. Bently was forbidden the house,
ana Tie girl vas told that she must
never meet him again. Ert they met
after this, not IS result OF Mary dis
obedience, but by reason of B4ntly's
persistence. He found her one dty last
Summer down by the brook, and when
she would have run from him he caught
her, and holding her closely he told her
OF his affection for her and entreated her
to become his wife, and in rettt:n re-
ceived some encouragement. From that
time or they met occasionally, unknown
to Brother Bates or Jane.
IN September Brother Bates went to
New Mexico OF an exhortation tour, and
when he returned IN October he brought
back with him Mormon elder named
Crafty, who, seeing Mary Lee, be-
thought hin that be would like 10 take
aaothcr wife, his fifth, and he accord
ingly broached the subject 10 her on the
second day after his arrival. The girl
repelleti him with horror, but he pressed
his suit, and at length brought Brother
Bates to his assistance. At first Jane
opposed the proposition. She was
sincere Mormon, but her affection for
her foster CHILD got the better Of her
faith tor time, and until she could be
2lac&ted Elder Crafty had to hang his
harp OF the willow. The means resorted
10 to bring Jane to see the error Of her
WAYS are faliliar to all who have had
intercourse with the strange people who
inhabit these valleys. Brother Bates
had Il vision. Then Elder Crafty had a
vision. Then a bishop who was passing
through Jericho Valley had vision.
Then the Sunday school superintendent,
the Sunday school teachers, aud the
local elders and missionaries had visions.
By singular concensus Of opinion all
had seen the same thing. Nary Lee was
Gods choice for Elder Cratty's wife.
Still the girl, now most of the time IN
tears, ike her unhappy mother, dead
sixteen years, shrank from the proffer of
the visitor, and her foster mother, the
kindly but superatitious Jane, still de-
INJURED, though growing weaker and
weaker 10 her opposition
The visions falling OF the desired
r.ect, Elder Crafty and Brother Bates
sent up into the mountains some time
last month, and, fasting for fourteen
days and nights, they wrestled with the
Lord, and at the end of their vigil they
were rewarded by seeing great light
and hearing 4 voice from heaven saying
that Elder Crafty should take Mary Lee
to be his wife, and that further delay
wouid be both anseeInly and dispieasing
to the Lord With this revelation and
the further ass;lraEce that spirit had
appeared unto Crafty il a vision saying
that ii Mary Lee would marry him she
would receive TIE requisite affection for
her husband by praying for it il the
tempe, the two wended their way home
ward and communicated to Jane :he re-
sat Of then prayers and HASTINGS. In
;he face OF such undoubted evidence of
:he Lor:l's approval tAat good woman
could say no .;5c:e, and taking tee girl
to one @l3a she advised her to give up
her Gentle lover and cling to the hus
band selected for her by God. Til.o had
promised his servants that Il she did not
loYe him now the 3piri5 would confer
great and ST.: passing affection upon her